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Description Of Business
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Description Of Business [Abstract]  
Description Of Business

1. Description of Business

Stereotaxis designs, manufactures and markets the Epoch Solution, which is an advanced remote robotic navigation system for use in a hospital’s interventional surgical suite, or “interventional lab”, that we believe revolutionizes the treatment of arrhythmias and coronary artery disease by enabling enhanced safety, efficiency and efficacy for catheter-based, or interventional, procedures.  The Epoch Solution is comprised of the Niobe ES Remote Magnetic Navigation System (“Niobe ES system”), Odyssey Information Management Solution (“Odyssey Solution”), and the Vdrive Robotic Navigation System (“Vdrive system”), and related devices.

The Niobe system is designed to enable physicians to complete more complex interventional procedures by providing image-guided delivery of catheters and guidewires through the blood vessels and chambers of the heart to treatment sites. This is achieved using externally applied magnetic fields that govern the motion of the working tip of the catheter or guidewire, resulting in improved navigation, efficient procedures and reduced x-ray exposure.

In addition to the Niobe system and its components, Stereotaxis also has developed the Odyssey Solution, which consolidates all lab information enabling doctors to focus on the patient for optimal procedure efficiency. The system also features a remote viewing and recording capability called Odyssey Cinema, which is an innovative solution delivering synchronized content for optimized workflow, advanced care and improved productivity. This tool includes an archiving capability that allows clinicians to store and replay entire procedures or segments of procedures. This information can be accessed from locations throughout the hospital local area network and over the global Odyssey Network providing physicians with a tool for clinical collaboration, remote consultation and training.

Our Vdrive system provides navigation and stability for diagnostic and therapeutic devices designed to improve interventional procedures. The Vdrive system complements the Niobe ES system control of therapeutic catheters for fully remote procedures and enables single-operator workflow and is sold as two options, the Vdrive system and the Vdrive Duo system. In addition to the Vdrive system and the Vdrive Duo system, we also manufacture and market various disposable components which can be manipulated by these systems.

We promote the full Epoch Solution in a typical hospital implementation, subject to regulatory approvals or clearances. The full Epoch Solution implementation requires a hospital to agree to an upfront capital payment and recurring payments. The upfront capital payment typically includes equipment and installation charges. The recurring payments typically include disposable costs for each procedure, equipment service costs beyond warranty period, and software licenses. In hospitals where the full Epoch Solution has not been implemented, equipment upgrade or expansion can be implemented upon purchasing of the necessary upgrade or expansion.

The core components of Stereotaxis systems, such as, Niobe system, Odyssey Solution, Cardiodrive and various disposable interventional devices have received regulatory clearance in the U.S., Europe, Canada, China, Japan and various other countries. We have received the CE Mark that allows us to market the Vdrive and Vdrive Duo systems with the V-CAS, V-CAS Deflect, V-Loop and V-Sono devices in Europe. In addition, we have received licensing to market the Vdrive and Vdrive Duo systems with the V-CAS, V-CAS Deflect, V-Loop and V-Sono devices in Canada. We have received regulatory clearance that allows us to market the Vdrive and Vdrive Duo systems with the V-CAS, V-Loop, and V-Sono devices in the United States. 

Since our inception, we have generated significant losses. As of December 31, 2014, we had incurred cumulative net losses of approximately $458.6 million. In May 2011, the Company introduced the Niobe ES system and as of December 31, 2014, the Company had an installed base of 119 Niobe ES systems.  In 2015, the Company plans to continue developing the Niobe ES system with the goal of furthering clinical adoption. Between 2011 and 2014, the Company implemented a wide ranging plan to rebalance and reduce operating expenses by 15%  to 20% on an annual run rate basis. Although we had an operating profit in the fourth quarter 2014, we expect to incur additional losses into 2015 as we continue the development and commercialization of our products, conduct our research and development activities and advance new products into clinical development from our existing research programs and fund additional sales and marketing initiatives. During 2015, we expect operating expenses to be generally consistent with 2014 with additional investment in certain targeted areas.

We may be required to raise capital or pursue other financing strategies to continue our operations. Until we can generate significant cash flow from our operations, we expect to continue to fund our operations with cash resources primarily generated from the proceeds of our past and future public offerings, private sales of our equity securities and working capital and equipment financing loans. In the future, we may finance cash needs through the sale of other equity securities or non-core assets, strategic collaboration agreements, debt financings or through distribution rights. We cannot accurately predict the timing and amount of our utilization of capital, which will depend on a number of factors outside of our control.

Our existing cash, cash equivalents and borrowing facilities may not be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital equipment requirements through the next 12 months, which would require us to obtain additional financing before that time. Further, our revolving line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank matures on March 31, 2015. We cannot assure you that additional financing will be available on a timely basis on terms acceptable to us or at all, that we will be able to engage in equity financings if our common stock is delisted from NASDAQ, or that such financing will not be dilutive to our stockholders.  If adequate funds are not available to us, we could be required to delay development or commercialization of new products, to license to third parties the rights to commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise seek to commercialize ourselves or to reduce the sales, marketing, customer support or other resources devoted to our products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we could be required to cease operations.